Tourism discussion by Aussie expert on July 24
View(s):A discussion on tourism by an Australian expert organised by the Australian High Commission in Colombo and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), will be held on Tuesday at the BMICH, Colombo.
The speaker, Andrew Fairley, has over 30 years’ experience in sustainable tourism development both within and outside Australia. He recently completed terms as Deputy Chair of Tourism Australia and Chair of Parks Victoria. He has consulted for various state and non-state tourism entities in Sri Lanka and has been actively engaged in supporting Sri Lanka’s national Tourism Strategic Plan 2017 – 2020, a media release from the organisers said.
With the rapid transformation of the global landscape from an industry-driven marketplace to one controlled by information and services, the way tourism works is changing. In Sri Lanka, the traditional tourism offering – packaged tours, conventional tourist routes – has been stagnant for a while, with the new-age tourist being one who takes on the country armed with an Internet-enabled mobile.
In this context, research and outreach into core tourism markets has never been more relevant. Understanding in detail what a tourist wants is critical. Mr. Fairley will discuss and analyse the trends of global tourism flows and demand dynamics that provide vital information that tourism operators can utilise to formulate policy, devise promotions strategies, and implement change. This will include how Australia has established comprehensive research tools to access visitor intentions.
The event is facilitated by Australia’s private sector development programme in Sri Lanka, Market Development Facility (MDF).